Kodak Unveils Dual-Lens Digicam

January 3, 2006: Kodak has released details of a new dual-lens digicam, the EasyShare V570, which is the first of its kind to include separate wide-angle and telephoto lenses.
Fitted with a 5-megapixel CCD sensor, the V570 camera carries two non-extending Schneider-Kreuznach lenses, one with a fixed focal length equivalent to 23mm in 35mm format and the other a 3x optical zoom lens with focal lengths equivalent to 39-117mm in 35mm format. Maximum apertures range from f/2.8 at 23mm to f/3.9-f/4.4 for the zoom lens. Digital zoom magnification of up to 4x is provided. The new camera captures JPEG images at five resolutions and can record VGA video clips at 30 fps with sound, in QuickTime format. Clips of up to 80 minutes can be recorded with adequate memory, provided via SD/MMC cards. Users can zoom while video clips are captured and the camera includes digital image stabilisation in movie mode.
For recording stills, shutter speeds range from 8 to 1/1448 seconds and bursts of up to four shots can be captured at a rate of 2.3 fps at any quality setting. Twenty scene mode pre-sets are provided, along with a custom setting for recording frequently-used shooting parameters. The V570 also includes five colour modes: high, normal and low colour plus sepia and B&W. Sensitivity settings range from ISO 64 to ISO 400 with ISO 800 available in manual mode. The camera also supports in-camera panorama stitching for up to three shots, allowing users to capture a 180-degree panorama. Automatic red-eye reduction, in-camera cropping, auto picture rotation and a blur alert are also provided.
The V570’s TTL-AF system focuses to 80 cm with the ultra-wide lens and 60 cm with the tele-zoom, with macro shooting from 5 to 70 cm available. Multi-pattern, centre-weighted and spot metering is available, along with exposure compensation of +/- 2.0 EV in 0.3 EV steps. White balance settings include auto, daylight, tungsten, fluorescent and open shade but no custom measurement is provided. The camera sports a high-resolution (230K pixels) 2.5-inch indoor/outdoor colour display with wide viewing angle and live/review histogram plus a 10-second self-timer.
Claimed as the world’s thinnest 5x zoom camera, the EasyShare V570 measures 101 ø— 49.8 ø— 20.4 mm and weighs only 125 grams without battery and card. It is scheduled for local release next month at an RRP of $699 and comes with Kodak’s EasyShare Photo Frame Dock 2. It is also compatible with the EasyShare Photo Printer 500 and Printer Dock Series 3.
Kodak has also updated its bundled EasyShare software. The new Version 5.2, which can be downloaded free of charge from the Kodak website, includes a new Quick Print function and facilities for CD and DVD burning. Available in both Windows and Macintosh versions, it supports digital picture organisation, editing, sharing and printing plus Kodak’s “One Touch to Better Pictures” facilities that take advantage of the company’s proprietary colour technologies to help users get vibrant, colourful prints from inkjet printers. For details of all EasyShare products, visit www.kodak.com/go/EasyShare/.
.